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Observation of O+ Characteristics During the Terrestrial Alfvén Wing State Induced by the April 2023 Coronal Mass Ejection

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: We report Magnetospheric Multiscale observations of oxygen ions (O+) during a coronal mass ejection (CME) in April 2023 when the solar wind was sub‐Alfvénic and Alfvén wings formed. For the first time, O+ characteristics are studied at the contact region between the unshocked solar wind and the magnetosphere. The O+ ions show energies between 100s eV and ∼30 keV. The possible sources are the ring current, the warm plasma cloak, and the ionosphere. The O+ ions exhibit bi‐directional streaming along newly‐formed closed field lines (CFLs), and dominantly anti‐parallel on earlier‐formed CFLs. Escaping O+ ions in the unshocked solar wind are observed. During the recovery phase, the O+ pitch‐angle distribution associated with flux tubes shows dispersion, indicating potential loss to the solar wind. Our results show escaping as well as trapped O+ ions in the region where a magnetic cloud, an Alfvén wing, and magnetospheric field lines are mixed.
DOI: 10.1029/2025ja033915
Authors: Haoming Liang, Li‐Jen Chen, Stephen A. Fuselier, Roman G. Gomez, Brandon Burkholder, Naoki Bessho, Harsha Gurram, Rachel C. Rice, Jason Shuster, Akhtar S. Ardakani
Institutions: Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Southwest Research Institute, The University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, University of New Hampshire
Language: English
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,070
OpenAlex ID: W4409580830
FWCI: 0.455
Cites: 30
Cited by: 1
Related to: 10